The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus provided with a low profile PCI slot and a PCI expansion adapter connected to the electronic apparatus.
Conventionally, in order to use a PC card for a notebook personal computer in a desktop type personal computer, there is used a PCI expansion card provided with a connector for connecting a PC card and a control LSI for controlling the connection with PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus.
On the other hand, in accordance with the recent miniaturization of a personal computer or the like, a low profile PCI expansion board, which is smaller than a conventional PCI expansion card, is standardized for an electronic apparatus such as a desktop type personal computer and a printer by the PCI Special Interest Group. The details thereof are described in the PCI Local Bus Specification Ver. 2.2 and the ECN referring to the Low Profile PCI Card.
As shown in FIG. 14, the low profile PCI expansion board is a card edge type board having a connection terminal 63 in a part of its one edge. The name xe2x80x9clow profilexe2x80x9d derives from its low profile in the height direction (the ac direction in FIG. 14) from the motherboard. The low profile PCI expansion board is mounted on the motherboard by inserting the connection terminal 63 into a PCI expansion connector 52 on the motherboard.
The PC card is inserted or removed through an expansion slot provided on the cabinet of an electronic apparatus such as a desktop type personal computer, while the mounting direction of the expansion slot may be limited to the ab direction shown in FIG. 14 due to the positional relationship between the cabinet of the electronic apparatus and a motherboard therein.
A parts mountable area on the low profile PCI expansion board 61 has a length of 56.15 mm in the ac direction except the connection terminal section 63. Further, the minimum horizontal width of a commercially available PC card slot 62 is approximately 62 mm (for example, the model JC21EJ-FSN20 manufactured by Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited). Thus, it has been impossible to mount the PC card slot 62 so that the card insertion/removal direction corresponds to the ab direction as the case of a conventional PCI expansion card. In addition, because of restriction under the standard, it has been also impossible to employ the structure in which the PC card insertion/removal direction is perpendicular to the parts mounting surface (the abc surface) of the low profile PCI expansion board 61.
Also, the horizontal width of the PC card is regulated to be 54 mm in the Physical Specification (P.31) for the PC Card Standard. Thus, it is difficult to develop a PC card slot mountable on the low profile PCI expansion board. Further, since a bracket position for the PCI expansion card is also regulated, it is impossible to mount the PC card slot in the ac direction in which the PC card is inserted or removed. Thus, it is difficult to use a PC card on an electronic apparatus employing a low profile PCI.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a technology to allow an electronic apparatus employing a low profile PCI to mount a PC card thereon while using a conventional PC card slot.
An electronic apparatus of the present invention comprises: a first board provided with an expansion connector for connecting with a bus; a second PCI-compliant low profile board provided with a connection terminal to be inserted into the expansion connector; an expansion unit provided with a PC card slot for mounting a PC card thereon; and a cabinet provided with a PC card insertion/removal opening, wherein the expansion unit is placed in parallel to the second board, and the PC card insertion/removal opening is placed in parallel to the PC card slot.
The expansion unit of the electronic apparatus of the present invention may comprise a third board on which the PC card slot is mounted.
Further, the expansion unit of the electronic apparatus of the present invention may have the height, from the first board, lower than that of the second board.
Furthermore, the electronic apparatus of the present invention may have a space between the expansion unit and the connection terminal on the second board so that the second board can be inserted into the expansion connector.
The other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the drawings and following explanations.